Dye-sublimation printed appliqués have grown in popularity. In dye-sublimation printing, a dye-sublimation ink is held in a liquid solvent, such as water. To form a sublimation dye transfer, the dye-sublimation ink and solvent are applied to a donor material, a special type of paper, in the form of an image and dried. The dried sublimation dye transfer can be placed onto a material, such as a fabric, and heated; the heat transfers the image to the material. The final sublimation printed image is the reverse or mirror image of the image printed on the donor material. During the dye-sublimation process, the dye-sublimation ink is converted into a gas that permeates the fabric and solidifies within the fibers. The dye-sublimation inks can be quick-cure ultraviolet inks, solvent-based inks, and water-soluble, screen-printing inks.
Luster is an important visual aspect of a textile. Textile luster is substantially a surface phenomenon, produced when light impinging a surface is specularly reflected. High luster textiles are more preferred and difficult to achieve in many textile product applications. Dye printed textiles have been limited to low luster, tightly woven, smooth weaves. The present invention provides for textile products, more specifically woven textile products, with enhanced surface texture and luster having an embroidered appearance, and even more specifically a hand-stitched embroidered appearance.